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celebrate human biology and don’t shame breastfeeding mothers.

You know what’s good? Biology. It’s not embarrassing. It’s not obscene. It’s just pretty awesome. We shouldn’t hide ourselves or our biology from the world. We shouldn’t pretend actions that are actually positive and good and lovely are really sources of shame.

I’m talking about breastfeeding. Not sure how many male bloggers are writing about breastfeeding these days, but I just can’t help myself. Breastfeeding’s not about making statements or being provocative. It’s about biology, nature, providing for your child, right? I tend to think that the location of breastfeeding should be dictated by the need for a child to feed. If we’re at Barnes and Noble, and the child needs food, well, okay. Adults have the cafe, babies sometimes have a bottle, or, sometimes the mama.

a woman breastfeeding. i promise, it will cause you no harm.

I’m inspired by the actions of my wife and our newborn breastfed baby to take up this cause. I’m no advocate, and don’t really have an opinion on what any one chooses to do regarding their own baby. But if you see a woman breastfeeding in public, I recommend this course of action: do nothing, then go about your business.

Do not give her the stink eye. Do not make snide comments. Do not complain to the management. Do not audibly sigh or gasp or be a pain in the ass. Those things mark you as a jerk-wad who lacks compassion. Just go about your day. If you must, feel free to go home and complain. Just don’t complain to a mother who is feeding her child.

Why should a woman feel embarrassed for doing that which her biology and baby require?

Yesterday our newborn bub fed in the travel section of our local bookstore. We are fortunate that nobody really gave it mind. But it happens all the time. Women are told to go into the bathroom, leave the restaurant, leave the bus, leave the store, go home. Photos are tagged as obscene or scandalous or inappropriate. This is ludicrous. No woman should feel shame, embarrassment, or any repercussions for providing for her baby.